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Slightly Over The Top… Top

January 31, 2020 By Richard Maguire 9 Comments

beech laminates Maguire Workbench top

I was having a good old rummage through the timber store the other day and found an old off cut from a workbench top. It's from one that I made when I was building them for a living. I used to keep these off cuts and put them to the test. Sun exposure, damp, all that to see how the laminates held … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Workbench Designs, Workbenches

The Most Stable Workbench Top

November 15, 2019 By Richard Maguire 12 Comments

12' english workbench

This surprised me. After tarting up some benches recently I had to check and flatten the tops. They all needed just a little skim, which is what I'd expected.What I didn't expect though, was just how stable my 12ft English bench top was. This is a big bench, and the thing has been stored in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Workbench Designs, Workbenches

Giving Birth To Rough Sawn Wood

April 18, 2019 By Richard Maguire 36 Comments

french workbench with leg vice

When owt gets born there's blood, sweat and faecal matter. That's just a fact. Giving birth to a workbench is the same. It's been a while since I've built a bench and I have to say I've been twitching for quite some time to do one. Building this hasn’t scratched that itch, actually this has … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Premium Videos, Workbench Designs, Workbenches

Building A Workbench For ‘That’ Screw

April 1, 2019 By Richard Maguire 18 Comments

I’ve been having a good old tidy up and done that thing where you stumble upon a great big sod off vice. Now, if you've been lingering around from our old days you may remember this thing. It was rather nicely given to me by my good friend Richard Arnold. He mentioned he’d had it for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Vices & Work Holding, Workbench Designs

Timber Movement & Workbench Design

March 15, 2019 By Richard Maguire 4 Comments

designing for timber movement

If you know anything about the way that I work then you'll know that I don't like to faff. I will always do a proper job though, in fact I tend to do things somewhat overkill. But when it comes to the tools and techniques used I'll always find the most basic and simple route. I'm no different … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Designing Furniture, Timber, Workbench Designs

Why Your Workbench Needs One Vice (Or Less)

March 23, 2018 By Richard Maguire 43 Comments

workbench - using the face vice

A workbench is only a success if it can keep itself still and provide means to hold your work. A woodworking vice is not an essential feature of this. Typically though we can expect to see two vices on a workbench today. One will be installed on the front of the bench, towards the left. We … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Vices & Work Holding, Workbench Designs, Workbenches

Choosing Timber – The Best Wood For Building A Workbench

December 9, 2016 By Richard Maguire 34 Comments

If you're going to build yourself a chest of drawers, what wood would you build it out of? You'd build it out of whatever you fancy building it out of. What you like, what's to hand, what's cheapest. Who, bloody cares? It's the same when you're building a workbench. Obviously, I can't … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Timber, Vices & Work Holding, Workbench Designs

Build A Workbench Top That’s Simple Yet Strong.

January 15, 2016 By Richard Maguire 37 Comments

Audio File (Trial). Can't Be Bothered To Read? Click Play. https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/The-Planked-Top.mp3 The Planked Top. What, How Why? ..who? Since first showing photos of our English workbench, I've had almost as many questions about this workbench … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Workbench Designs, Workbenches

Simple & Strong Workbench Design

April 16, 2015 By Richard Maguire 19 Comments

When it comes to workbench design there's a rule to suit us all. Keep it simple, make it strong. Give any woodworker a French bench, an English bench, a trestle and a door fitted out with original Victorian handle bench... As long as they're strong, they all work. The same applies to vices. A … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Workbench Designs, Workbenches

Left Handed Woodworking

October 17, 2014 By Richard Maguire 29 Comments

After completing a Little John bench with a left handed set up I was struck by how odd it still appeared to me despite trying to get accustomed to it throughout the build. It made me realise that although we offer to customise our workbenches in this way, I've only ever built around four lefties, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Workbench Designs, Workbenches

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